Xerxes's army was a conglomeration of conquered kingdoms that contributed not only soldiers but also was led by the local kings and leaders. A conservative estimate gives the army at 130,000, but the real numbers will never be known. The Persian contingent carried daggers, bows, and spears and had wicker shields for protection. Noticeably absent was armor, as the Persian forces relied on the wicker shields and wore soft headgear. The center of the Persian army was the Immortals, a group of 10,000 excellent fighters. They were called the Immortals because when one fell or was wounded another soldier would be selected to take that place. Therefore, the force remained at the strength of 10,000. The effectiveness of this group has been called into question by some historians, indeed some current historians even question the existence of such an elite force. In addition to the infantry, the Persian army featured large numbers of cavalry. Led by Masistius, the Persian cavalry could be very effective on the open battlefield. Armed with bow and arrows, it could use its mobility on the battlefield to devastating effect. The Persians were joined by a host of other troops, such as the Scythians, Indians, Bactrians, Arabians, Medes, and numerous other forces. Relying on the bow and the cavalry as its strike force, the Persian army tended to smother its opponents with its size, speed, and overwhelming force. On the open battlefield there were few who could stand up to the Persian army. To lead the army, Xerxes chose Mardonius, the son-in-law of Darius. Mardonius had a checkered past, having lost favor with Darius after his naval disaster at Mount Athos. Mardonius, however, had re-emerged after Darius's death as an important man in Xerxes's inner circle. As such, Xerxes had rewarded Mardonius with the military command of the expedition into Greece. Mardonius intended to play Greek states off against each other as the Persian army worked its way further into Greece. Unfortunately, in Leonidas, he was facing a commander who knew the capabilities of the Persian army and intended to use the terrain of Thermopylae to neutralize many of the Persian advantages. Thus, when the Persians reached the Middle Gate, Mardonius would be unable to use his cavalry on the battlefield, because of the naturally protected flanks and the narrow front. Battle of Thermopylae Introduction The Persian Army The Greek Army The Battle Jumbo Map of Operations (extremely slow: 486K) Jumbo Map of Thermopylae Pass (extremely slow: 466K) Back to Table of Contents -- Against the Odds vol. 2 no. 2 Back to Against the Odds List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by LPS. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com * Buy this back issue or subscribe to Against the Odds direct from LPS.